China has launched a super-scale integrated circuit (IC) and software program, with goal of making the country a major IC designer and provider in about eight years.
According to sources with the Ministry of Science and Technology, China would strive for breakthroughs in key technologies concerning high-performance central processing units (CPU), and establish a number of nation-level IC design bases for development of chips for use in information security, network communications and electrical home appliances.
China is also to research and develop self-made network software platforms including operating systems, database systems and other important internet applications as part of the government's program to boost 12 key science and technology research and development projects.
Experts say that by 2010, China will be the world's second largest semiconductor market. The enormous demand has stimulated China's information industry to expand at an annual rate of 20 to 50 percent, much higher than that of the national economy.
With nearly 13 percent of the world market, China is the main attraction of global semiconductor investors, experts say.
(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2002)
